A Word for Your Uncomfortable Season
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In our early twenties, my husband, Kenya, and I—new parents to our first baby, a daughter, Kyla—headed out to Los Angeles. We were Buffalo folks through and through, but the call to introduce Kyla to her Grandpa Earnest was stronger than the pull of any time zone. So, we hopped aboard the seven-hour flight, eager to meet up with our West Coast family.
California was new to us, with its palm trees swaying and streets bustling three hours behind our New York schedule. We were navigating diaper changes on the go, but we found joy in the simple things—sightseeing, tasting new foods, long conversations, attending worship, and yes, even making a few California friends along the way.
In that Golden State, we crossed paths with a couple, seasoned by life and rich in wisdom. You know people like that who just seem to have their lives together? This California couple had reached a place of comfort—comfort in their walk with Jesus, comfort in their finances, comfort in their unity, and comfort in their role as parents. They seemed to have ascended to a peak that we, a young couple weighed down by financial burdens and scant life experience, could only dream of reaching.
So, Kenya and I looked up to them. We thought, one day, that'll be us—comfortable and coasting.
But life, it's full of surprises, isn't it?
Fast forward a couple of decades—26 years of marriage under our belt, kids all grown up, and a journey with the Lord that’s wonderful, albeit full of twists and turns. Kenya and I have seen so many blessings, but not without their fair share of battles. Comfortable in some areas, sure, but we've learned a thing or two about the seasons of life: they come with both sunshine and rain.
Trials, hardships, you name it—we've faced it. Money troubles, health scares, jobs on shaky ground, no jobs at all, relocating and acclimating to a new city, trying and failing in our pursuit of new ventures, dealing with the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, navigating the rewarding but challenging commitment to global nonprofit ministry. But here's the kicker, no matter the season or circumstance, God's been right there. In the good, the bad, and everything in between. He's been our rock, our guide, our comfort.
Let’s Talk About Comfort
So, let's talk about comfort. We all want it. We pray for it. But did God ever promise us a life of ease? Nope. What He did promise, however, is that the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—will be with us when the going gets tough.
In Scripture, the term "Comforter" refers to the Holy Spirit, derived from the Greek "parakletos," meaning "one called alongside to help." This divine Helper, the third Person of the Trinity—also called Paraclete—counsels, supports, and permanently indwells every believer, providing guidance and comfort from within.
The Comforter, as beautiful as His support is, doesn’t give us a ticket to a trouble-free ride through life. And yet, the enemy would have us believe we're forgotten in our discomfort; but that's the lie meant to shake us. Because it's in the discomfort, in the stretching and growing pains, that our faith takes root and blooms. And the greater our faith, the greater our breakthroughs.
Maybe today, you're standing in the middle of a fiery furnace of affliction—health failing, emotions flailing, finances faltering, relationships fraying, beneath a darkened sky that seems to be falling. Hear me now: the Lord is with you in the midst of it all. He may not sweep in and pluck you from the flames on your command, but He is there, guarding you, protecting you from the fire's devouring bite.
The Fourth Man
The other day, my son, Kaleb, who just turned 18, came to me all excited about something he'd read in the Bible—the familiar story of the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace in Daniel 3. You know the one. Though the biblical account is not new to him, the miraculous story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego struck a fresh chord. He talked about how the infamous trio stood up to King Nebuchadnezzar and ended up in a furnace so hot, it killed the men who threw them in.
But here's where it got good to Kaleb: Nebuchadnezzar, when he looked into the furnace, saw a fourth man with the Hebrew boys, and none of them were even singed. How was that possible? Because that fourth man, the Son of God Himself, was right there in the fire with them, sabotaging the enemy’s plan (v. 25).
And the wonderful news is the same Fourth Man is with us too!
Emmanuel, "God with us," is not just His name—it's a promise. Ah, God is ministering to you right now and declaring, “I am Jehovah Shammah, the God who is there.”
Through every trial, every test, The Fourth Man, The Paraclete, Jehovah Shammah is there. In the hospital room, in the courthouse, in the unemployment line, in the throes of grief, in the doctor’s office when we get the bad report, in the depths of the valley, in a puddle of tears, in the quiet solitude of our darkest night—He's there. The Fourth Man always walks through the fire with us. Even when you can’t see Him, He’s there.
“God is right there in the midst of the struggle, always working for your good, ensuring that the enemy’s weapons don’t prosper against you!”
The Fourth Man’s Resume
The Fourth Man was with the multitude on the hillside, taking two fish and five loaves to feed 5,000, multiplying meager supplies into a feast of abundance (Matthew 14:13-21). His hand of provision turned scarcity into a surplus, proving His lordship over the physical as well as the spiritual.
The Fourth Man sat at the well in Samaria, offering living water to a woman burdened by her past, transforming her shame into a wellspring of evangelistic zeal (John 4:5-42). His words of truth quenched her thirst for acceptance, and she became a vessel of His grace.
The Fourth Man encountered ten lepers, outcasts crying out for mercy, and with a word, He cleansed their disease, sending them to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:11-19). Only one returned to give thanks, but His compassion was for all, a testament to His unending mercy.
The Fourth Man was with the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of His garment, instantly healing her after years of affliction (Matthew 9:20-22). The Fourth Man was with the disciples in a storm-tossed boat, speaking peace to the raging winds and seas (Mark 4:39).
The Fourth Man was with the two men on the road to Emmaus, opening their eyes to the Scriptures, revealing Himself as the Risen Savior and the Living Bread (Luke 24:13-35).
The Fourth Man—also known as the Living Word—through Whom all things were made, was there at the beginning of time (John 1:1-2). He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the One who was, and is, and is to come—who is with you now, promising never to leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
The Fourth Man, whose name is Jesus, the Son of God, the Root of Jesse, the Lion of Judah, is also known as the Prince of Peace, the Bright Morning Star, the Bread of Life, and the Great I Am, embodying the fullness of divine love and power.
He Is Working Even Now
Not only is He there with you, friend, but He's working even now in the midst of your silence, whispering hope into your heart that has grown weary from waiting. He's working even now in the midst of your night, painting the promise of dawn, though you feel lost in the darkness. He's working even now in the midst of your desert, drawing rivers in the sand to refresh your parched soul.
He's working even now in the midst of your tears, collecting every drop to water the seeds of destiny that will blossom in due time. He's working even now in the midst of your shattered dreams, piecing together each fragment into a new masterpiece that will exceed all you can ask or think.
In the midst of life's fiercest trials—the fiery furnace of our struggles, the valleys of our despair—Psalm 113 reminds us that our Almighty King loves us with such intensity that He humbles Himself to meet us right where we are. Enthroned in glory, He gazes not from a lofty distance but stoops down to the depths of our experience. In our lowest places, He is present, a compassionate Savior, a High Priest, touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15), descending to walk beside us in our pain.
We Are Never Abandoned
This epitome of divine condescension is the selfless act of crucifixion, where God willingly entered into the brokenness of humanity to lift us up, to save us, to be Emmanuel, "God with us." Through His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus transforms our valleys into places of hope, our despair into moments of grace. In every circumstance, we are never abandoned; the King of Kings is ever present, reaching out His hand to raise us from the dust, to remind us we are loved beyond measure.
How is it that a God so great bends so low to reach us with a love so deep? What an amazing God we serve!
To remind you that He is with you in your season of discomfort and assisting you in the painful areas of your life, I’m stirring Isaiah 41:13 NIV into your cup of inspiration today, which says, "For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
As you drink down the contents of your cup, God is assuring you that He is your refuge and a present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Therefore, whenever you find yourself engulfed by waves, winds, or flames, lean into His grace.
Be assured that despite the discomfort and hardship, the Lord your God, Emmanuel, the Fourth Man, is with you. All you have to do is grab hold to His unchanging hand—and never let go—and He will safely lead you to your Promised Land.
Now, let's pray.
Lord, I thank You for the assurance that You are with me in the fire, that I am never alone. In times of discomfort, help me not to lean on my own understanding but on the comfort of the Holy Spirit. For, You are my refuge, my safe place, my strength, my ever-present help. And I trust You in every circumstance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
